Compliance isn’t what it used to be – and for Kate Burt, that’s exactly the point.

As founder and CEO of HiveRisk, a consultancy supporting law firms and legaltech, Kate helps firms navigate the shifting expectations of regulators, clients and markets.

We recently interviewed Kate while preparing our latest report: Under pressure: How fee-earners are balancing compliance, client expectations, and growth in 2025. In this Q&A, she shares what’s changed, what firms still get wrong, and why better compliance is about more than just staying out of trouble.

Q: How has the perception of compliance changed over the last few years?

It’s night and day. When I first moved into compliance in 2016, many firms weren’t even recording matter risk assessments – and they rarely got called out for it. Now, if the SRA comes in and those assessments aren’t on file, some firms are being referred straight to investigation.

The level of enforcement has changed dramatically. The regulator is better resourced and far more active, which means firms that haven’t kept pace are being caught off guard.

Q: Why are some firms still falling behind?

It shows up differently across firms. Smaller firms (particularly sole practitioners) are often heads down in the work and less connected to industry updates, so regulatory changes can come as a surprise. Larger firms, on the other hand, may struggle more with standardisation: different teams or offices doing things their own way, which creates inconsistency and risk.

In both cases, the outcome is the same: compliance gaps that leave the firm exposed.

Q: What’s the biggest misconception fee-earners have about compliance?

That it’s a blocker. The “business prevention team.”

But done well, compliance isn’t there to get in the way – it’s there to keep the business safe in the most efficient way possible. It’s not about ticking boxes. It’s about helping lawyers work securely and confidently.

Q: What distinguishes firms that treat compliance as a business asset, not a burden?

They understand the business case. Good compliance means better processes, more consistency, and fewer inefficiencies. 

Whether it’s a sole practitioner juggling everything, a mid-sized firm with patchy processes, or a global firm managing multiple offices, when everyone’s doing something different it’s not just non-compliant – it’s also costing the firm money. 

Firms that get this right use compliance to streamline and strengthen the business. And that shows up in the bottom line.

Q: What happens when firms get compliance wrong?

A: The costs can be huge – and not just the fines. There’s reputational damage, hours of management time, the drain on fee-earners, and the emotional toll of regulatory attention.

There’s also the ethical side: do you really want to risk enabling the proceeds of crime? Most firms don’t – but if you’re not on top of your systems, it can happen without you realising.

Q: Can compliance really be a competitive advantage?

A: Absolutely. Especially at the front end. Onboarding is often the first experience a client has with a firm – and if it’s seamless, it sets the tone for everything that follows.

Using good tech to create a slick, modern process makes a huge difference. It tells clients: we’re organised, efficient, and professional. By contrast, outdated manual processes can leave clients confused or frustrated before the work’s even begun.

Q: What works best when it comes to getting fee-earners on board with compliance?

A: Start with the process. If it’s inefficient, no amount of training will help. Fix that first – then bring people on the journey.

You need to educate both sides: help fee-earners understand what’s required and why, and help compliance teams understand the commercial realities fee-earners face. Language matters. If both sides know what motivates the other, there’s far less friction.

Q: What do compliance teams often get wrong when working with busy lawyers?

A: It usually comes down to communication. Being overly bureaucratic, making decisions without context, or just saying “no” without offering support – that’s what creates tension.

The best compliance teams are commercially aware and genuinely helpful. They don’t spoon-feed, but they do make it easier for lawyers to get it right. That support changes the whole dynamic.

Q: What’s coming next in compliance? What shifts should firms prepare for?

A: There’ll be a growing expectation to use technology. Clients already expect slick, tech-enabled experiences – and regulators won’t be far behind.

But there’s also risk. Tools like AI and deepfakes are evolving fast, and they’ll put pressure on identity checks and biometric verification. If firms don’t keep up, they’ll struggle to stay compliant.

We’re also seeing more firms give compliance a seat at the board. That shift will continue – because risk needs a voice at the top table.

Q: What’s one cultural or structural shift firms must make to set people up for success?

A: Make it easy to complete – and find – your matter risk assessments. Every file should clearly show what the firm’s doing, where the money’s coming from, and how that’s been verified.

It sounds basic, but too often that information is buried across emails and documents. If the compliance team (or another fee-earner) can’t pick it up and see what’s going on, it’s a risk. And an efficiency problem too.

Final thoughts

Many thanks to Kate for her time and insights. Want to learn more about how fee-earners are managing growing compliance demands? 

Download our latest report here: Under pressure: How fee-earners are balancing compliance, client expectations, and growth in 2025

‍